Michigan Online Gambling

Michigan onling gambling is now live and players have access to a dozen different gambling apps, with more coming in 2021.

Michigan has welcomed online gambling and betting with open arms. Governor Gretchen Whitmer kickstarted the state’s journey to a full-fledged online gaming market when she signed three bills. Each bill authorized one online gaming channel: HB 4311 for online casino gaming, HB 4916 for sports betting, and HB 4308 for fantasy sports. 

On January 22, 2021, the long wait finally ended. Michigan launched online sports betting and online casino gaming. The state kicked off with 10 operators. Two of them (PointsBet and Barstool) launched with only sports betting. The remaining eight operators launched with both online sportsbooks and online caisnos. A few more apps launched a week later. With more on the way, Michiganders have a wide array of gambling sites to choose from.

Michigan Online Sports Betting

Michigan’s House Bill 4916 made legal sports betting a reality in the state, ushering in a new age of both retail and online betting.  

All of Michigan’s casino properties–tribal and commercial–are allowed to launch retail and mobile sports betting under the state’s law. And now that the state has authorized them for launch, many already have offerings live in the state.

With retail sportsbooks and online sprots betting sites live, Michigan stands to be a driving force in the industry.

Best Online Sportsbooks In Michigan

Now that sports betting is live in Michigan, there are already a few operators that could emerge as leaders.

BetRivers Sportsbook Michigan

BetRivers is partnered with Little River Casino Resort in Michigan. The sportsbook and casino from Rush Street Interactive launched on day one in Michigan.

BetRivers offers a seamless and streamlined app, plus one of the best bonuses in the business. New bettors can get a 100% deposit match bonus up to $250. That comes with only a 1x playthrough requirement. This means once you bet a total of $250, you’ll claim the full amount of the bonus. Other sites require significantly higher playthroughs, making BetRivers the easy pick for casual bettors.

Visit BetRivers for up to $250 now

FanDuel Michigan

FanDuel is another massive leader in the sportsbook industry. The company joined the Michigan market by way of a partnership with MotorCity Casino in Detroit. FanDuel brought online sports betting to Michigan on day one, and it’s a top competitor in the market thanks to its strong corporate backing (FanDuel is owned by Flutter, a European gambling leader) and US experience. 

FanDuel offers a $1000 risk-free bet as a new player incentive in Michigan. Players can bet with FanDuel on iOS, Android, or desktop devices. 

Visit FanDuel now for a risk-free $1000 bet

BetMGM Michigan

MGM Resorts launched a Michigan sportsbook with its MGM Grand Detroit license. This brings Roar Digital (a partnership between MGM and GVC Holdings) to the Michigan sports betting scene. BetMGM has a wide audience in many US markets, and its roots in Michigan should help it secure a leading position in the state. 

BetMGM offers sports betting via iOS and Android apps in addition to desktop.

Visit BetMGM for up to $600 in a risk free bet

DraftKings Michigan

No conversation about leading sportsbook providers is complete without mentioning DraftKings. The company is an undisputed frontrunner in many legal sports betting markets, and it’s already carving out a solid position in Michigan.

DraftKings is partnered with Bay Mills Resort and Casino, Michigan’s longest-running tribal casino property. 

You can access DraftKings on desktop, Android, and iOS devices. 

Visit DraftKings Sportsbook Michigan for up to $1000

Additional Online Sportsbooks

Of course, there’s a whole bunch of other operators ready to make a splash in the Michigan market. Here are some of the other operators already live in the state:

• Barstool Sportsbook (Penn National Gaming  & Greektown Casino)
• William Hill (Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, owners of Leelanau Sands Casino and Turtle Creek Hotel and Casino)
• Golden Nugget Sportsbook
• WynnBET Sportsbook
• TwinSpires (formerly BetAmerica) (Hannahville Indian Community, Island Resort and Casino in Harris)
• PointsBet (Northern Waters Casino Resort)
• FOX Bet (Odawa Casino Resort)

See our full guide to Michigan Online Sports Betting Apps 

Betting On Sports In Michigan

Compared to other states, Michigan has very few sports betting restrictions. Bettors can wager on college matches with no restrictions, and professional sports are completely fair game. The only iffy area at this point is esports. There’s no specific language allowing or prohibiting esports betting in Michigan. Michigan was quick to embrace all forms of online gambling, though, so esports betting looks like a positive prospect in the state. Also, look for top sportsbook bonus offers in Michigan. 

Michigan Online Casinos

You could classify Michigan as an early adopter of online casino gaming. It’s one of only five states to regulate online casinos. Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania were the first states to launch online casinos. West Virginia joined the club in 2020. 

So while sports betting carves a path to legalization in multiple states, online casinos remain a hold-out for many markets. Michigan took a different stance, choosing to legalize mobile casino gaming alongside sports betting, creating a midwestern online gaming market that is virtually unrivaled in the region. 

Best Online Casinos In Michigan

Online casinos in Michigan have officially launched in the Great Lakes State. Naturally, there are already a few frontrunners, though bettors have their pick of the litter when it comes to Michigan online casinos

Golden Nugget Online Casino

Golden Nugget is one of the top names in casino gaming in the US. By partnering with Ojibwa Casino, they brought their well-known casino app to Michigan. Golden Nugget has a strong app, with a simple user interface. They are probably best known, though, for their vast selection of casino games, including several hundred online slot options – one of the best in the industry.

Join Golden Nugget for $30 free play and up to $1000 – Use code SHARP30

BetRivers Casino Michigan

BetRivers Casino partnered with Little River Casino Resort in Manistee to launch both its online casino and online sportsbook product. BetRivers is building a strong reputation for a quality online casino app in the US due, in part, to its vast selection of online slots and table games.

Play at BetRivers Casino Michigan for up to $250

FanDuel Casino Michigan

FanDuel is most known for sports, but after launching successful casino apps in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the operator is poised for success in Michigan. Partnering with MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit, they’ve already launched a retail sportsbook, an online sportsbook, and now an online casino.

Start your $200 risk-free day at FanDuel Casino

Types Of Games At Michigan Online Casinos

Now that online casinos are live in Michigan, players have access to hundreds of games. Many of the state’s online casinos offer slots from the world’s top providers with themes based on major pop culture franchises. There are also popular proprietary themed games that players may recognize from casino floors. Online casinos also offer bonuses to new players. 

Table games are on offer as well: baccarat, blackjack, roulette, and more. Michigan’s online casinos will eventually include live dealer games, too. Live dealer games feature a real dealer live streaming straight to your device and doling out cards at a virtual “table.” The computer collects and settles bets while the dealer runs the hand. Live dealer games combine the fun of heading to an actual casino with the convenience of playing casino games on the go. 

See our full Guide To Michigan Online Casino Apps.

Michigan Online Poker

In addition to online casinos, Michigan is also set to launch several online poker apps, making it one of the few states to do so. The first online poker app, PokerStars, launched in January 2021.

PokerStars is partnered with Odawa Casino Resort and partypoker Michigan is partnered with MGM Grand Detroit. We also anticipate that WSOP, the World Series of Poker, will launch in Michigan although no partnership has been announced.

Under the initial Michigan gambling bill, an oversight in the legislation meant that Michigan poker players would be limited to only playing other Michigan players online. The Michigan House, though, is trying to rectify this oversight and hopes to announce in 2021 that when online poker launches in Michigan, players would be able to join interstate poker pools. This means Michigan players could play poker online against players in New Jersey and Nevada.

Michigan online poker will eventually expand the state’s online gaming options.

Other Online Gambling Options In Michigan

Outside of online casinos and sportsbooks, Michigan gamblers can gamble online in a few other ways. 

Online Horse Race Wagering

Though it’s now seen as a progressive market thanks to recent legislation, Michigan lagged behind with regard to online horse race betting until mid-2020. In May, The Michigan Gaming Control Board issued an order authorizing online horse race wagering. 

Before the order brought online pari-mutuel betting to Michigan, horse racing enthusiasts could only place bets at Northville Downs. Northville Downs is Michigan’s sole racetrack, and it also offers simulcast betting. 

TwinSpires, BetAmerica, and Xpressbet are some of the most popular horse race betting apps. Following the MCGB’s order, they became available to players in Michigan. To bet using these platforms, you must be 18 years of age or older and be within state lines. 

Daily Fantasy Sports

Michigan’s gambling expansion legislation included House Bill 4308, which formally authorized Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS). However, major operators like FanDuel and DraftKings have long been offering DFS in the state–albeit without full authorization. 

DFS exists in a legal middle-ground in most states that neither prohibits nor expressly allows companies to operate. Until Governor Whitmer passed Michigan’s legislation, that was the case in the Great Lake State. 

Now, operators can provide DFS to Michiganders without any risk of legal repercussions. In fact, Michigan offers competitively low licensing fees, making it an ideal market for smaller operators of Daily Fantasy Sports like Monkey Knife Fight. 

The move also bodes well for FanDuel and DraftKings. Both companies started as DFS operators before joining the legal sportsbook race. Now, the two competitors will be able to offer DFS, sportsbooks, and online casinos in Michigan, setting the stage for potentially massive revenue from the state. 

Sweepstakes Casinos

Sweepstakes sites like Chumba Casino and LuckyLand are excellent alternatives to real money online casinos. 

The sweepstakes model offers cash prizes to players in the form of sweeps coins. To get sweeps coins, players can mail in a request or purchase a separate in-game currency, usually called “gold coins.” Every purchase has the potential to award a player a few free sweeps coins. 

You can use gold coins to play casino games for fun. Chumba Casino includes slots and table games while LuckyLand focuses on slots. Once you have enough sweeps coins, you can play with them for a chance to win more. After you’ve played with your sweeps coins, any you have remaining (or additional sweeps coins you’ve won) can be redeemed for cash prizes. 

Sweepstakes sites get their name from the model they use. The sweepstakes model allows them to offer their sites even in jurisdictions with strict regulations. In Michigan, players can enjoy sweepstakes casinos legally. 

Sweepstakes Poker Sites

Global Poker is currently the most popular sweepstakes poker site, and it’s run by the same company that operates Chumba Casino. 

The model is almost the exact same. Each in-game purchase nets you a small allotment of sweeps coins, which you can then play with and redeem for cash prizes. You can also mail in a request for free sweeps coins, an option that allows these sites to operate legally even in jurisdictions that don’t allow legal online casinos. 

Online Lottery

Michigan kicked off online lottery sales in 2014. It was one of the first states to offer this option. The Michigan Lottery website has a helpful page on how to play online lottery games. 

Players can purchase more than 60 games online in Michigan, and some games (instants and Keno) even have free demos you can try before purchasing the real thing. 

For players hoping to hit a big jackpot, Michigan offers online purchases for draw games like Powerball, MegaMillions, and Michigan’s Lotto 47.

Michigan residents can play online lottery games via desktop or mobile devices through the Lottery’s Android or iOS app. 

Casinos In Michigan

Michigan’s gambling history stretches back to 1933 when the state legalized pari-mutuel horse race wagering. For nearly 40 years, that remained the only legal form of gambling in the state until the Michigan Lottery was approved and launched in 1972. 

It wasn’t until 1984, however, that Michigan casino gambling took off in a meaningful way. Tribal casinos launched in the state after Fred Dakota of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Tribe contested the state’s right to govern gambling on tribal land. Later that year, tribal casinos began to pop up in Michigan. 

Since then, Michigan has become a gambling-friendly state with 26 casinos (23 of them tribal properties). That trend continued into the 2010s when the state legalized online gaming. Now, Michigan is poised to become a 360-degree gambling leader with land-based casinos, horse race betting, and full online gambling available to players. 

Michigan Gambling Compared To Neighboring States

Michigan is nestled in the midwest among states with widely disparate views on gambling. Some nearby states welcome gambling in many forms while others enforce strict regulations. 

Wisconsin

Wisconsin takes a conservative approach to gambling, by only allowing tribal casinos within its borders. There are no commercial casinos in Wisconsin, and attempts to legalize sports betting in recent years have stalled due to strong opposition. 

Ohio

Ohio has some gambling available: namely a smattering of land-based casinos, horse racing, and a lottery. Michigan outpaces Ohio on the online front, though. Ohio has not legalized online gambling. A 2016 study recommended the Buckeye State authorize online gaming, but little has come of the recommendation and not much has happened since, legislatively speaking. 

Indiana

Of the three states that actually share a border with Michigan, Indiana brings the strongest competition. The Hoosier State unveiled sports betting in 2019 and has seen success since the launch. Players in Indiana can register and bet online without visiting a property in-person, and its headstart may give it a leg-up on Michigan’s sports betting offer. 

However, Indiana still prohibits online casino gaming, opening up an added opportunity for Michigan’s online gaming revenue to pull ahead after launch. 

Illinois

Though it’s not a formal neighbor, Illinois is only a short drive from southwestern Michigan, especially for those looking to visit Chicago in Northeast Illinois. 

The Prairie State has made recent moves to ramp up its online gambling offer, including the legalization of online sports betting. Additionally, Illinois recently authorized the construction of up to six new casinos. In other words, the Land of Lincoln is setting itself up as a midwestern gambling hub and could give Michigan a run for its money. 

But, like Indiana, Illinois has not legalized online casino gaming. Michigan could remain the only online casino gaming market in the midwest for some time.

Michigan Online Gambling Options

Who Regulates Michigan Online Gambling?

The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) oversees almost all legal gambling in the Great Lake State. It’s a government agency that sets forth rules and regulations that govern all legal gambling operations in Michigan. 

The Board’s jurisdiction includes Detroit’s land-based casinos, sports betting, online casino gaming, and horse race betting. 

The notable exception is any tribal offering. Tribal properties are governed by the National Indian Gaming Commission because they are sovereign groups that do not fall under state jurisdiction. 

The MGCB website features plenty of helpful resources if you’re curious about Michigan gambling regulations. The site is also frequently updated with Michigan gambling news. 

Is Online Gambling Safe In Michigan?

Michigan’s legal online gambling portfolio is safe to use. The state has a robust regulatory framework that governs all online gambling and sports betting operations in the state. Measures are in place to protect users, and operators who don’t abide by regulatory requirements risk losing their licenses. 

On the operator side, there will be important security practices in place to protect your data. Online gambling providers use high-level encryption tools to keep your data safe as it travels from your device to the operator’s systems. 

Michigan Gambling FAQs